twenty three

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 23. Happy birthday to me!

I have had a really fantastic birthday week. On Sunday we had my birthday celebration and it was marvelous! I got canvases, paintbrushes and acrylic paint, Secret Carnival Workers (a book of poetry by Paul Haines) and a mixed CD of some of the weirdest and wonderful(est?) songs I've heard in ages, a book on knitted rugs (yay!), enrollment in an art class on modifying and adorning your clothes (yay again!) and a beautiful wooden frame/display case to hold my prized 1949 issue of Seventeen Magazine. The frame, of course, was custom made by my awesome dad.

By some glorious fate 23 years ago, I was born during March break, and more gloriously yet, I still get March break off because of the nature of my job. So I had the whole week, free and clear. On Monday I hung out with my mom and bros. On Tuesday and Wednesday I put those canvases, brushes and paints to good use and tried my hand at painting (something I haven't actually done before, besides having to paint an abstract piece for a high school art class. A forced abstract painting...seems a little oxymoronic. Ah well, such is formal education). Now, about painting: IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. I literally spent all day Tuesday and Wednesday painting, listening to music and singing loudly. And once in a while I would pause and think things like, "I am having SO MUCH FUN," and "I can't remember the last time I enjoyed something THIS MUCH."

On Thursday (my real birthday) my mom took me out for breakfast. I painted some more. Then Aaron came over for dinner and brought butter tarts for dessert (yum!). Then Joel and I went to a special screening of My Kid Could Paint That, a thought-provoking documentary that really raises some major questions about some of my favourite subjects: art, children's rights, and what people are potentially capable of doing when money and fame are involved. I enjoyed it and probably could have discussed it for another 5 hours afterwards, but eventually the day came to close and I really had to stop talking to call it a night.

And that, my friends, is how I entered my new age of 23. So far, it's been a great year!